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P.G. rodeo family lassos big-money opportunity

From the Suter family acreage in Pineview to the world championship riding arena in Las Vegas, three local team ropers have snagged themselves a shot at a six-figure payday.
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From the Suter family acreage in Pineview to the world championship riding arena in Las Vegas, three local team ropers have snagged themselves a shot at a six-figure payday.

Sandy Suter, her sister Christine Jones and Christine's husband Darin were on their game last weekend at a qualifying event in Fort St. John which guarantees entry into World Series of Team Roping, Dec. 6-12 in Las Vegas.

The week-long event at the Southpoint Hotel and Casino, which happens at the same time as the National Finals Rodeo, is the world's richest amateur team roping competition. Last year's Level 9 winners spilt a grand prize of $240,000 U.S. and that pot is expected to reach $300,000 this year.

"There's nobody who gives more money out than this," said Suter, who teamed up with Chance Paradis of Cranbrook to win the Fort St. John qualifier. "It's actually feasible to win. Anybody who enters is on even ground to win it. It's like a team roper's dream to play for that kind of money in a class where everybody is at your level.

"We're super happy because it's a family thing now."

This is the 10th year for the World Series of Team Roping. Suter, 36, has qualified twice for it, as recently as 2013, when she teamed up with Richard Glassford of Quesnel.

"The World Series has really agreed with me, it really fits my horse and every time I go down there I just rope well," said Suter.

Christine, 39, and Darin, 42, a former professional bull rider from Malad City, Idaho, are first-time qualifiers for the World Series. Christine is the header and Darin is the heeler.

"We've tried to qualify before and it's one of those events that's eluded me," said Christine Jones. "It's a life-changing amount you can win, especially if you do it with your significant other."

In team roping, two mounted riders work together to rope a steer. The header takes the lead by roping the steer around the horns or neck, then hooks the rope around the horn of the saddle (dallying) and uses it to turn the steer to the left. The heeler then ropes the hind legs of the steer then hooks the saddle to stop the clock.

The cumulative times in the first three runs determine the top 20 teams which qualify for the short go-round. Suter and Paradis won the Fort St. John qualifier and a $9,600 prize while the Jones placed second. The top four teams qualified for Las Vegas.

"It's always exciting when Sandy wins, but I'd rather have her behind me," laughed Christine. "We were all within a couple seconds in the last go, which makes it exciting for the spectators."

Suter and Paradis had never met each other before the competition on Sunday. Suter had expected to see her usual partner, Ernie Willis of Princeton, but he hurt his back and couldn't make the trip. Paradis went to Fort St. John hoping he'd locate a partner and found Suter, a former Canadian champion, to take on the header duties.

"We made our winning run and I had to ask him, 'what is your last name,' I had no idea who he was," said Suter.

There is a cost involved in entering the World Series event, each team has to come up with $2,500. To try to double their chances of winning the World Series title, Suter and the Jones's plan to enter the July 4 qualifier in Claresholm, Alta., which could give them two entries in the same No. 9 level showdown in Las Vegas.

Suter was in Cave Creek, Ariz., in February at a World Series qualifier roping with Joe Lucas, a four-time Canadian champion calf roper from Carstairs, Alta., who went to the CFR 22 times. They were leading the event going into the short go and were on the way to a great time in the final but Lucas messed up his dally as the heeler and failed to hook the rope on his saddle. That was $15,600 mistake and it cost them a spot in Vegas.

Suter has known the Lucas family for seven years and is a regular at their winter home in Arizona.

Sandy and Christine have been roping most of their lives and they grew up with a great teacher in-house. Their father Gary, 65, has for decades been one of the top team ropers in B.C., and now he's passing that knowledge on to Christine's daughters, who are just starting out as ropers. Ten-year-old Fallon just won her first high-point saddle at a Little Britches rodeo and six-year-old Nevada is also showing her interest in the roping.

"The sport is great because people if any age can do it," said Christine. "You get someone like my dad, who could soon be roping with his granddaughter. You have spouses and siblings involved, it's a family program. There are so many different levels you can compete at from something simple locally to bigger events like the World Series."